Celebrate Father's Day with beer-infused dishes to help him enjoy kicking back

Sunday is the day we honor Dad. He read you bedtime stories, taught you how to ride your bike, took you fishing, coached your soccer games and paid for college. Now, it’s your turn to show him how much you appreciate him. But unlike most moms, who love the brunch and the pot of flowers, or the luxurious breakfast in bed, dads are low-maintenance. Just give them a reason not to do something, and that’s the best gift of all. Don’t you think he’d love a reason for avoiding yard work, cleaning the garage, washing the car or whatever else his least favorite chore may be?

This year, instead of the shirt, book or garden tool, why not give him something he could really use -- a day off. But don’t expect Dad to relax on an empty stomach; it takes some real effort to keep the hammock in just the right position. If your dad is like most guys, simple pleasures are the best. Give him a book and a beer and a quiet spot and he’ll be blissful all Father’s Day long.

And to make this Father’s Day just a little more special, consider putting that brew to good use: Instead of just pouring Dad a tall one, cook up something extra special for his dinner using beer in the recipe.

With all the craft-made beers on the market, you can stop by your local brewpub, microbrewery or beverage store and find the perfect brew for marinating meats, making barbecue sauces, stirring into a soup or using as a batter for seafood or veggies and even muffins and pancakes. For example, start the day off with some Mancakes made with Samuel Adams lager and crushed potato chips. Later whip up some cauliflower fritters with a cilantro ginger sauce and a few Brooklyn beer chili sliders served with some icy cold beer. Or how about some beer muffins to serve alongside a soup or chili? Most muffin batters, even savory ones, are moistened with milk or buttermilk but beer does the same job, only adding flavor and bubbly lift.

Using different beer, cheese, and herb combinations would give you an entirely different effect for each muffin recipe and with some imagination and what you have in the refrigerator, you could come up with a custom muffin made just for Dad.

Beer is also the star of some desserts. Beer and pretzel caramels satisfies the sweet tooth, and he will delight in some chocolate stout brownies served with a scoop of his favorite ice cream. (And if you really want to surprise your pop, make him a beer float using a chocolatey stout with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.)

And speaking of craft-made beers, there are more than 70 microbreweries and beer pubs in Michigan. Why not grab a couple of six packs of some locally made pilsner, stout, ale or lager and either pair them with your meal or just let Dad sample at his leisure. Either way, he’s sure to be pleased.

Grease the bottom and sides of the baking sheet with the 1 teaspoon butter, and set it aside on a heatproof surface.

Combine the cream, sugar, malt syrup, fine sea salt, and the 7 tablespoons butter in a large (6- to 8-quart) stockpot. Stir a couple of times with the heatproof spatula just to make sure there aren’t any big clumps of dry sugar, and then bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat to medium and insert the candy thermometer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 252 degrees (hard ball stage), about 20 minutes. (Watch it closely: once it reaches 240 degrees (soft ball stage), after about 15 minutes, you’ll want to stay nearby and stir it more frequently as it tends to scorch on the bottom of the pot.) Remove the pot from the heat.

Stir in the Beer Reduction, then the pretzels and coarse sea salt. Mix thoroughly, scraping the bottom of the pot several times to incorporate everything.

Put on your oven mitts and carefully (seriously — please be careful!) pour the caramel onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it out with the spatula, distributing the pretzel pieces as evenly as possible. Allow it to cool until it’s firm to the touch, 1 to 2 hours.

Run the tip of a sharp chef’s knife around the edges of the baking sheet to loosen the caramel. Turn it out onto the lined cutting board, cut it into 1-by 1½-inch pieces, and wrap them in the wax twisting papers. Store the caramels in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks (let them come to room temperature before you eat them!).

Notes: Barley malt syrup, made from sprouted barley grains, is what bridges the gap in this recipe between the innocuous buttery flavor of the base caramel and the sharper zing of the reduced beer. It has a toasty, rich flavor that adds depth but isn’t too assertive on its own, perfectly bringing together all the other flavors. You can buy it at any natural foods market, such as Whole Foods.

Snyder’s of Hanover is a good, widely available choice for the pretzels; the crushed pieces should be about ½ inch. Sift them before they go into the caramel, otherwise you will end up with a lot of pretzel dust ruining the lovely texture of the candy. Serves 24.

Cauliflower Fritters with Cilantro-Ginger Sauce

Technically, Cauliflower Fritters with Cilantro-Ginger Sauce is a side dish, but served with rice and salad, it would indeed make a terrific vegetarian entree. The recipe comes from Alex Guarnaschelli via Foodnetwork.com. Look for firm cauliflower with compact florets and crisp, fresh leaves with no signs of yellowing or wilting.

Prepare fritters: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, turmeric and ground ginger. Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil and whisk in the beer. Set aside in a warm place because, like a bread dough, it will puff up slightly.

Put cauliflower in a medium bowl and use a small strainer to sprinkle it with an even layer of paprika. Toss to coat.

In a large pot over medium heat, add remaining 6 cups of oil and heat to 350 degrees.

Stir batter slightly. Put a couple of pieces of cauliflower on a slotted spoon and submerge into batter. It should coat the pieces lightly. (If batter is too thick, add a little water; if it’s too thin, whisk in a bit more sifted flour.)

Cook 1 piece of cauliflower to check for seasoning. Drain excess batter and lower cauliflower bite into the oil. It should bubble slightly and cauliflower will gradually rise to the surface. Fry until golden brown; drain on paper towels. Season with salt.

Fry remaining cauliflower in small batches and drain on paper towels. Transfer to serving bowl. Garnish with Cilantro-Ginger Sauce and serve immediately.

Brooklyn Beer Chili Sliders

Recipe from “The Book of Burger” by Rachael Ray. Make the pickles and barbecue sauce ahead of time, and all you’ll have to do the day of the picnic is assemble these tasty burgers, which can be patted into regular-sized patties instead of sliders.

Make the pickles: Bring vinegar, 1⁄3 cup water, sugar, salt, peppercorns, garlic and bay leaves to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes.

Put chile, cucumbers, onion and dill in a small food-storage container and sprinkle in mustard and coriander seeds. Pour hot brine over pickles. Cool, cover and chill overnight, shaking every once in a while.

When you are ready to make the sliders, make slaw: In a bowl, combine cabbage, onion, vinegar and oil. Season with celery salt and salt and pepper. Toss until cabbage is coated.

Make the barbecue sauce: In a small saucepan, combine all sauce ingredients and cook over medium-low heat to thicken and combine flavors, 15 to 20 minutes.

Make sliders: Heat a large cast-iron pan, griddle or grill pan over medium-high-to-high heat. In a large bowl, combine beef, Worcestershire sauce, marjoram, thyme, chile powder and beer; season with grill seasoning or with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Divide into 4 equal portions, then form each portion into 3 equal patties thinner at the center than at the edges for even cooking and to ensure a flat surface (burgers plump as they cook). Drizzle the patties with oil. Cook sliders a few minutes on each side, or until done to your taste. Baste liberally with barbecue sauce during the last minute of cooking.

Place sliders on roll bottoms and top with a little slaw and slices of pickle. Set roll tops in place. Pass the rest of the pickles and sauce at the table.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9x2” metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 2” overhang. Bring stout to a boil in a medium saucepan; cook until reduced to ½ cup, about 12 minutes. Let cool. Reserve ¼cup stout.

Stir 12 ounces chocolate and 1 cup butter in a medium metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Whisk sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in chocolate mixture, then ¼ cup stout from pan. Fold in flour and 1 ¼ teaspoons salt. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake brownies until surface begins to crack and a tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 35–40 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes. Stir remaining 4 ounces chocolate in a medium metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Add reserved ¼cup reduced stout, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and ¼ teaspoon salt; whisk until well blended.

Pour warm glaze over brownies. Let stand at room temperature until glaze is set, about 40 minutes. (Can be made 8 hours ahead.) Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the beer and 4 tablespoons of melted butter until a rough dough forms. Stir in ¾ cup cheese and the dill. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over muffins. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup cheese on top.

Bake until the muffins are golden and toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out dry, about 18 minutes.

Cauliflower Fritters with Sauce can be a side dish or a vegetarian entree. (Gretchen McKay /Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

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